On the cover: A composite of three images -- the Sphinx in Giza, the lightning, and the dune. This page: The spectacular rainbow Mountains, China.
S~o many times taking a great picture doesn't mean necessarily the photographer has exceptional skills. Instead, it might mean that he or she made an effort and went to the expense of placing themself in a particular place.
Any photographer can point their camera at a beautiful mountain in great lighting and take a good picture of it. But if you don't expend the energy to get there, someone else will get the shot. You will look at the beautiful image they took and think they're such a great photographer. The truth is, while you were sitting home eating bon bons and watching TV, they were taking advantage of great photo opportunities which have always been there for the taking.
That's what I've done my entire life. I research the most exciting things to photograph anywhere in the U.S. and the world, then I get the shots by going there. It might be dragonflies hunting along the stream on my property in Tennessee, Old Car City in Georgia, a fabulous rock arch in Capital Reef National park, Utah, a blue ice cave in Iceland, Bengal tigers in India, or ribbon dancers on a stage in Beijing. I love photographs and will do anything necessary to take beautiful pictures. I never get tired of it.
Everytime I travel to a wonderful photographic destination, it's like a two-fer. I love the experience of being there and love the pictures I take. It's a great way to spend one's life -- seeking out and capturing beauty in all its forms.
Jim Zuckerman photos@jimzuckerman.com www.jimzuckerman.com
How to make a composite
When you know how to composite photographs, the sky's the limit as to what is possible with the images you can make. You can resolve issues with distracting backgrounds, fix depth of field problems, create visual fantasies, add amazing artistry to your work, and go way beyond what we see with our eyes. And, it's fun to stretch your imagination and see how far it will go.
For example, look at the picture below. This would be virtually impossible to take in a single exposure because the bird, a sunbittern from the
Pantanal in Brazil, would never allow such a close approach. This means you'd have to use a telephoto lens which, in turn, would render the background out of focus, even at f/16, with a lens 400mm or longer.
This picture is actually a 4-image composite: the landscape, the bird, the perch, and the clouds. Three of the four images are shown on the next page.
I started with the landscape. To add the clouds, I used the pull down menu command Edit > sky replacement in Photoshop.
I felt the sunbittern needed a branch from which it would appear to be taking flight, so I went into my 'branches' folder and found one that worked. I then pasted the bird just above the branch.
Here are the steps I used:
1. To select the branch, I used the magic wand tool to first select the background behind the
branch, i.e. the sky. This was much easier than selecting the branch itself because the sky background is monochromatic. Once the sky was selected, I chose Select > inverse. This selected everything except the sky, which meant the branch was the only thing selected now.
I then used Select > modify > contract. In the dialog box, I chose 2 pixels. This action
moved the marching ants away from the sky and into the branch. Two pixels is a very small movement, but the point in doing this is so there are no telltale light lines around the edge of the branch in the composite.
I consider this action the 'secret weapon' of compositing.
Finally, I softened the edge of the selection ever so slightly with Select > modify > feather. In the dialog box, I chose one pixel.
2. I now selected Edit > copy. This copied the branch selection to Photoshop's clipboard. The clipboard is a holding place for a photo or part of a photo.
3. At this point, the pulldown menu command Edit > paste pastes the branch into the landscape.
4. Using the move tool in the tools palette, I then moved the branch into place.
5. The most time consuming part of this project is precisely selecting the bird. Given the messy forest background, there is only one tool in Photoshop capable of making a perfect selection with this kind of complex border between subject and background, and that's the pen tool located in the tools palette.
How to use the pen tool
The enlarged image of the bird below shows the pen tool in use. I typically work at 300% enlargement for maximum precision. When the pen tool is selected, place what Adobe calls 'anchor points' along the edge of the subject.
When the edge of the subject is straight or even slightly curved, the distance between the anchor points can be increased to save time. When the curvature of the subject's edge becomes severe, such as at the tips of the feathers, the distance between points has to be closer so the selection is more precise.
When the anchor points are placed around the entire periphery of the subject, the last anchor point is placed on top of the first anchor point, effectively 'closing the circuit.' The outline you've just created turns into a path, not yet a selection. It will look like the image below -- with a solid blue line around the subject. The line might be white in an older version of Photoshop.
To convert the path into a selection, look at the paths palette (green arrow) shown above. In the upper right corner there is a small icon
indicated by the cyan arrow. Click this and a flyout submenu expands. Choose make selection (red arrow), and in the dialog box that opens, type in '1' for the feather radius. Now the path is converted to a selection complete with marching ants.
The bird now had a precise selection. I then
used Edit > copy to place the bird into the clipboard followed by Edit > paste. This placed the sunbittern into the landscape image.
Next, I had to resize the bird so it made sense in the composition. I did this using Edit > transform > scale (or the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl T). This puts a box around the bird with handles. Holding the shift key down to maintain the correct proportions, I grabbed one of the handles and reduced the selected bird until I liked the result.
zzzzzzz Finally, I used the move tool to move it into place.
The composite of a capped heron in the Pantanal below was done using the same steps except a perch wasn't necessary for a bird in flight.
Compositing in brief:t
1. Choose the components
2. Select the subject. Complex subjects with small details, like the long neck feathers in the heron below, require the pen tool.
3. Shrink the selection 1 to 3 pixels using Select > modify > contract. Then feather it by 1 pixel using Select > modify > feather.
3. Copy the selection with Edit > copy; then paste into the new background: Edit > paste.
4. Size the selection with Edit > transform > scale.
5. Move it into place with the move tool. §
D I A G O N A L S
Tihe essence of fine art photography -what makes images visually compelling -- is bold, beautiful, and artistic graphic design. In other words, striking shapes. And what makes great shapes? Strong, engaging, and captivating lines.
There are many types of shapes, of course, and many kinds of lines that attract a photographer's eye. The simplest and easiest line to incorporate into successful compositions is the diagonal. A simple diagonal line, or even multiple diagonals, in an image adds a dynamic and artistic element which can immediately
transform it from mundane to compelling.
The image I took in a Nubian village in Egypt below is an example. The diagonal brick structure that supported the stone stairs leading to a second story immediately caught my eye, but a single line in a monochromatic composition wasn't enough. It needed a subject. So I asked one of the women in the village to slowly walk up the stairs, and that provided the focal point. The most effective way to use graphic lines is when there is a subject that's complimented by the graphics.
Iceland Drone Tour
August 24 - September 2, 2026
The dramatic and very graphic shadow on a dune in Namibia, below, created another photogenic opportunity. Note in this shot there isn't a focal point or a subject per se. In art, as we all know, there are exceptions to every rule, so this is an exception to the example and the point I made previously.
Once you start looking for diagonals, you can find them everywhere. You can also create diagonals simply by angling the camera. I don't use this technique often, but with the right subject and a wide angle lens, the results can be striking. The picture at right I took during carnival in Venice, Italy, illustrates this. I used off-camera flash to create texture and drama, and I also tilted the camera so all the vertical lines in the architecture and the costumed model suddenly became diagonals.
The lone tree I photographed during a Michigan winter on page 13 provides the diagonal line, and the tree is also the focal point, i.e. the subject. This is something to look for when you're out shooting-- a subject
that has two graphic functions. It's the focal point as well as the diagonal line. §
Bentonite Hills, Utah
April 17 - 22, 2026
Photo Tour
Just because our cameras do so much for us automatically, that doesn't mean we should leave our brain at home when we are out photographing. We still have to oversee the camera's controls and settings to make sure they are giving us what we want. A camera is a machine, after all, and it can't possibly know what we have in mind as we're taking pictures.
The most important camera funtion is focus. If a picture isn't focused correctly, nothing else matters. Today, the autofocus mechanism in our cameras is truly phenomenal in its speed, accuracy, and its ability to dis-
tinguish the subject in the most challenging situtions -- like a white snowy owl in flight against a snowy background.
Having said that, there are times when the autofocus function fails us. For example, when there are two subjects not on the same plane, you want one of them in focus but the camera chooses to focus on the other one. If you're shooting fast, you may not take the time to lock focus onto one of the subjects, hoping the camera makes the 'right' choice. The image below illustrates such a scenario.
Something that occurs to me many times
when I'm photographing wildlife or birds is that grasses, branches, flowers or some other element in nature just happens to be right in front of the subject. These elements get locked onto by the AF sensor. In the picture above, the grasses in front of the leopard's face are sharp but the cat isn't. Autofocus gathers most of its information about the scene you're shooting from the center of the frame. In this case, those grass were dead center in the middle and, as a result, gave a false focus reading.
As I said, you have to oversee what the camera is doing at all times and make corrections when necessary. In the case of the leopard shot, I switched to manual focus and refocused on the cat's face. Had I been on the eye tracking function, which I wasn't, I don't think the camera's AF function would have made that mistake. I usually use eye tracking when photographing birds; mammals move much slower and usually autofocus works well when I'm following their
movements with the camera. This experience taught me that eye tracking would be a good approach to avoid this kind of issue.
With macro subjects, there are so many details for the AF to lock onto that it's easy to make an error. To solve that problem, I switch to manual focus. To focus critically on, say, the face of the insect, I move the camera back and forth ever so slightly until the portion of subject that needs to be sharp is in critical focus. §
Exotic Birds of Colombia
Sept. 23 to Oct. 3, 2026
Pantanal Photo Tour, Brazil
Jaguars in the wild, birds in flight, caiman, otters and more
Dec. 1 - 9, 2025
Hyacinth macaw in flight
Photography Quiz
1. In black and white photography, which filter produces the darkest sky?
a. Red
b. Yellow
c. Green
d. Polarizer
2. Back in the day, Kodak Tri-x film was:
a. A color transparency film
b. A color negative film
c. A black and white negative film
d. A black and white transparency film
3. In the studio, the main function of a soft box is:
a. To focus the light on the subject
b. To soften and diffuse the light on the subject
c. To tweak the color gamut in the shot
d. To make it easier to break down and transport lighting equipment
4. When you look through the viewfinder and see a speck of dust, this will show up in the pictures as an unwanted smudge.
a. True
b. False
5. What does rectalinear in a lens mean?
a. The lens produces panorama images
b. The lens produces rectangular images
c All of the vertical and horizontal lines are curved.
d. All of the vertical and horizontal lines are straight
6. Travel tripods that are very lightweight with slender legs are not ideal because:
a. They aren't sturdy
b. They are often too short, forcing you to raise the center column too high
c. The position of a heavy camera and lens won't be rigid
d. All of the above
7. Blown highlights mean there is no texture or detail in certain areas of the image, mostly the whites.
a. True
b. False
8. When there are two subjects in your frame, the ideal is that one is sharp and the other slightly out of focus.
a. True
b. False
9. If you hold your breath and steady the camera by holding it tightlyt with a 400mm telephoto, you can usually get sharp pictures at 1/30th of a second for the shutter speed.
a. True
b. False
10. If your lens gets fogged up due to humidity and temperature discrepancies, you can correct this in Photoshop.
a. True
b False
Answers on page 48
UPCOMING PHOTO WORKSHOPS
FROG & REPTILE WORKSHOP in Kansas City
This is an exciting macro workshop in which you will be able to photograph about 40 species of colorful dart frogs and exotic reptiles. Held in a hotel conference room, Jim sets up natural backgrounds for outstanding photos. The photo at left shows a Jackson chameleon with the background replaced in Photoshop.
June 13 - 14, 2026
CARNIVAL IN VENICE
Photograph amazing costumes in a Medieval environment. We shoot inside a 16th century palace, in an iconic gondola, in a stunning bedroom with traditional Venetian decor, and at other great locations. The photography as well as the experience is phenomenal.
February 7 - 13, 2026
TEXAS BIRDS
Get up close and personal to many species of exotic and colorful birds. We shoot from a blind and get frame-filling shots of cardinals, green jays, crested caracaras, painted buntings, and more. Based in McAllen, Texas.
May 12 -15, 2027
eBooks
Click on any ebook to see inside
India Tiger Safari
May 20 - 30, 2026
What's Wrong with this Picture?
This is a ringed kingfisher I photographed in the Pantanal region of Brazil. It's a beautiful bird, and in this shot I like the forward position of the wings. For me, though, the sky background is boring. Yes, the fact that it's a solid blue background directs all our attention to the kingfisher with no distractions and with nothing diverting our focus from the bird, but it's just an uninspring and mundane backdrop to an otherwise good shot.
The picture on the next page is more engaging in my opinion. It gives a sense of context, and now the background has texture, form and interest. Notice that the bird was taken in diffused light -- even though the distant sky is blue -- so it would only make sense if the clouds I chose for the new sky were the kind that would produce soft and diffused light.
The easiest way to add clouds to this image was to use Edit > Sky replacement in Photoshop. I've preloaded dozens of my own skies to be used for this purpose. I've got clouds at sunrise and sunset, rainbows, lightning, storm clouds, and nondescript, generic clouds that can be used for any number of foreground images.
Once you choose a sky background, you have to decide whether you want it to be in focus or out of focus. In this case, I wanted the clouds to be focused. However, we almost always photograph birds in flight with telephoto lenses, and that by definition means the sky behind them is soft. This is what we are used to seeing in photographs, even though this isn't what we see with our eyes. This is entirely a personal choice; you might try both versions and see which one appeals to you the most. §
On Safari: Kenya
March 22 - 31, 2026
SHORT AND SWEET
1. I photographed this giant river otter in the Pantanal. The angle of shooting is downward. It would have been better had I been able to shoot from the level of the water, but the boat I was in prevented that. Had the otter been further away and I used a 500mm lens, then the angle would have been better.
3. The original background behind this buff-necked ibis from Brazil was very busy with branches everywhere. I replaced the entire background with out of focus foliage. That took the picture from being not good at all to excellent. Learn Photoshop and your photography will take a quantum leap forward.
2. Tight, intimate closeups of compelling subjects always makes for striking images. I photographed this caiman in Brazil with a 500mm lens plus a 1.4x teleconverter giving me 700mm of focal length. Even though there is a one f/stop loss of light when using the 1.4x, it's worth it to get this kind of detail.
4. The combination of edge lighting and a dark background works beautifully. The subjects stand out against the backdrop with visual impact. I photographed these wild green and red macaws in the Pantanal, and at first I wasn't happy with the harsh, direct sunlight until I saw the result. §
Vietnam Photo Tour
October 13 - 23, 2025
ASK JIM
Every month, Jim answers a question from his online students, from people who participate in his tours and workshops, or from subscribers to this magazine. If you have a question you’d like Jim to answer, please drop him a note at photos@jimzuckerman.com.
Q:Jim . . . My issue has to do with your question #4 on last month's photography quiz."The complementary color to blue is: red, yellow, green, or cyan." I chose 'yellow', which was correct. I then did a google search and saw it was really orange, so now I am really confused. Which is correct?
Joe Worrick, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
A: The complementary color of true blue is, indeed, yellow. The three complementary pairs of pure color are: blue/yellow; green/magenta/ and red/cyan.
But -- it gets tricky when you start looking at colors between the primaries. For example, the sky is not really blue. It is somewhere between blue and cyan. The color halfway between blue and cyan -- whatever you want to call it ... most people would just say 'blue' -- has a complement which is orange.
Orange is halfway between red and yellow, and orange is exactly opposite the midpoint between blue and cyan on the color wheel.
The plot thickens when you start talking about paints. With light, which is photography, the primaries are red, green, blue (RGB). With pigments, the primaries are red, blue, and yellow.
See the color wheel below. Maybe this will make it more clear. You can see blue is opposite (and the complement of) yellow, and cyan/blue is opposite orange.
Partial List of Photography Tours
2025 - 2026
AUSTRIA
Sept 2025
PANTANAL, BRAZIL
Dec 2025
SCOTLAND'S PAST
May 2026
EXOTIC COLOMBIA BIRDS
Sept/Oct 2026
VIETNAM
Oct 2025
Jan. 2026
INDIA TIGER SAFARI
May 2026
INDONESIA WILDLIFE
Oct 2026
AUTUMN in JAPAN
Nov 2025
BENTONITE HILLS, UTAH
Apr 2026
ICELAND DRONE TOUR
Aug/Sept 2026
ARMENIA & GEORGIA
Oct/Nov 2026
CHINA
Armenia & Georgia
October 26 - November 8, 2026
STUDENT SHOWCASE
Each month, Jim features one student who took beautiful and inspiring images on one or more of his photography tours or workshops. It’s really fascinating how photographers see and compose such different images even though we may go to the same places. Everyone takes great photographs on Jim’s trips.
Doug Reyes, Torrence, California Palouse photo tour, New Mexico photo tour, Southern Nature photo tour
T O I N S I G H T S you would like to read. Jul. ‘19 Jan. ‘20
Subject index for past Photo Insight issues
1/3 focus law Jul. ‘15
3D sphere Mar. ‘16
90 degree finder Mar. ‘13
Abstracts in soap Feb. ‘15
Abstracts, Shooting Mar ‘19
Aerial photography Jun. ‘13
Aerial photography Jan. ‘21
African safari May ‘16
AI plus Photograpjhy Oct. ‘23
AI, Photos-to-AI Oct. '24
Airplane windows Mar. ‘16
Alien landscapes Jan. ‘13
Anatomy of 8 photographs Jan. ‘16
Anatomy of an Action Shot Feb. ‘24
Angled perspectives Jan. ‘19
Aperture vs. shutter speed May ‘14
Aperture priority Sept. ‘14
Aperture priority and other modes Jul. ‘24
Aurora Borealis Apr. ‘17
Autofocus, When it fails Aug. '25
Auto white balance Dec. ‘13
Autofocus, when it fails Apr. ‘15
Autofocus failure Aug. ‘15
Autofocus failure Jan. ‘17
Autofocus challenges Apr. ‘18
Auto ISO Nov ‘17
Auto White Balance Mar’ ‘21
Autumn Foliage Sep. ‘18
Autumn Color Sep. ‘20
Autumn foliage photography Oct. ‘21
AWB versus Daylight WB May ‘24
t Back button focus Oct. ‘18
Backgrounds, wild Nov. ‘12
Backgrounds, busy Apr. ‘13
Backlighting Apr. ‘16
Backlighting Oct. ‘22
Birds in flight Aug. ‘13
Birds in flight Jan. ‘14
Birefringence May ‘18
Birefringence Dec. 24
Birds in flight Mar. ‘16
Birds in flight, camera settings Jan. ‘23
Birds in flight, camera settings Dec. '24
Bird Photography Jun ‘19
Black backgrounds Aug. ‘23
Blacklight photography Feb. ‘21
Black velvet Mar. ‘14
Black and white conversions Mar. ‘17
Black and white infrared Apr. ‘24
Black and white solarization Sep. ‘17
Black and white with color Jan. ‘20
Black and white plus color Mar. ‘23
Blown highlights Feb. ‘18
Blue monochromes Jan. ‘22
Black Plexy Aug. ‘22
Blur, field Nov. ‘18
Blur technique Oct. ‘17
Bokeh Jun. ‘15
Botanical gardens, shooting Apr. ‘22
Butterfly photography Jul. ‘14
Buying nature Jul. ‘24
Camera buying guidelines
Dec. 21
Camera settings for landscapes Feb. ‘23
Camera setting priorities Jun. ‘17
Canon R5 Mar. ‘21
Capturing lightning Jun. ‘13
Capturing lightning Jun. ‘24
Capturing what you don’t see May ‘21
Catchlights Jul. ‘16
Changing perspective May ‘21
Cheap flash stand Apr. ‘13
Children photography Jun. ‘14
Choosing a telephoto lens Dec. ‘20
Chromatic aberration May ‘13
Chrome Dec. ‘18
Cityscapes Aug. ‘14
Cityscapes May ‘16
Clone tool, fixing an issue Sep. ‘17
Clone tool technique Jul. ‘20
Color theory Nov. ‘23
Composites and Light Dec. ‘17
Composites, Secrets to perfect Jun. ‘24
Compositing images Apr. ‘19
Compositing, 7 steps Jan. 22
Composites, How to make Aug. '25
Composition, different approach Jan. ‘15
Content-aware, New Aug. ‘20
Content aware move tool Jan. ‘23
Contrast vs. exposure Jul. ‘15
Contrast, When it is good Sep. '24
Converting to black and white Mar. ‘22
Correcting keystoning Jun. ‘21
Creating a star field Jan. ‘14
Creating Art out of Motion May ‘22
Creating a Sketch Dec. ‘17
Creative blurs Jan. ‘14
Custom functions Jul. ‘23t
Dark backgrounds Nov. ‘19
Dawn photography Jan. ‘17
Dawn photography Feb. ‘17
Dead center Jan. ‘13
Dead center Oct. ‘23
Dealing with smog Oct. ‘16
Decay photography Sep. ‘15
Define Pattern Sep. ‘18
Define Pattern Sep. '24
Depth of field Aug. ‘16
Depth of field confusion Jan. ‘20
Depth of field and distance Dec. ‘18
Depth of field and obliqueness May ‘21
Depth of field, shallow Apr. ‘20
Depth of field vs. sharpness Nov. ‘20
Diagonal lines, Using Aug. '25
Double takes Apr. ‘20
Drone photography Mar. ‘23
Drone, Lessons from a tour Oct. '24
Drop shadows Apr. ‘19
Dust, Minimizing Aug. ‘19
Dust specks May '25t
eBook, how to make Jan. ‘13
Elevated vantage points Aug. ‘23
Eliminating people from photos Jun. ‘22
Embedded in Ice Oct. 17
Energy saving bulbs Sep. ‘14
Equidistance and telephoto lenses Apri. ‘23
Exploring the power visuals of AI Mar. ‘23
Exposing for the sun Sep. ‘16
Exposure, the sun Jul. ‘13
Exposing for snow Dec. '24w
Exposure technique Sep. ‘13
Subject index for past Photo Insight issues
Exposure, snow
Jan. ‘14
Exposure triangle Nov. ‘14
Exposure, to the right
Exposure compensation
Apr. ‘15
Sep. ‘16
Exposure compensation Mar. ‘21
Extension tubes Dec. ‘13
Extension tubes Jul. ‘23
Face sculpting Apr. ‘21
Face sculpting Feb. ‘22
Festival photography
Fill flash
Sep. ‘20
Sep. ‘13
Filter forge Feb. ‘13
Fireworks
Jul. ‘13
Fireworks, Compositing Jun ‘20
Fisheye lenses May ‘13
Fisheye lenses Feb. ‘15
Fisheye fantasies Oct. 21
Fixing parallax Oct. '24
Flash backlighting May ‘15
Flash, balancing exposure Oct. ‘15
Flash, balancing off-camera Dec. ‘18
Flat art Sep. ‘16
Flexify 2 Mar. ‘20
Flood fixes problems Nov. ‘19
Floral Portraits, Indoors Aug. ‘21
Flowers May ‘15
Flower photography
Flowers in harsh light
Focus on the eyes
Apr ‘21
Jul. ‘16
Dec. ‘20
Focus points Mar. ‘15
Focus points Sep. ‘20
Focus stacking Mar. ‘17
Focus stacking Aug. ‘19
Focusing in the dark Oct. ‘16
Foreign Dancers, Photographing Nov’ 17
Foreign models Jun. ‘13
Fractals, generating Sep. ‘13
Fractals Jul. ‘19
Framing May ‘17
Framing Jan. ‘24
Freezing ultra action May ‘17
From Terrible to Beautiful Aug. ‘19
Fun with paint Oct. ‘16
Fundamental ingredients Apr. ‘13
Fundamentals That Make Great Photos Jan. ‘19
Fun With Christmas Lights Jan. ‘21
Fun with Food
Graphic Design Jul. ‘20
Garish imagery Dec. ‘15
Generative fill Jun. ‘23
Getting money for used gear Jan.’ 22
Getting the blues out Dec. ‘23
Great subjects Apr. ‘15
Great ceilings & HDR Panos Jul. ‘19
Green screen Mar. ‘13
Ground level shooting Oct. ‘22
Grunge technique Feb. ‘13
Harsh light, the problem of Apr. ‘24
Heavy Lens Debate, The Feb. ‘23
Helicopters, Shooting from Mar. '25
HDR, one photo Apr. ‘13
HDR at twilight May ‘13
HDR, realistic Jun. ‘15
HDR, hand held Dec. ‘16
HDR, hand held Nov ‘17
HDR, hand held Jul. ‘18
HDR panoramas Jun. ‘16
HDR, choosing the number of frames Jun. ‘22
High wind Apr. ‘17
Highlights Apr. ‘14
Highlights, overexposed Feb. ‘15
Histograms, Why I Don’t Use Jun ‘19
Histogram problems Apr. ‘20
Home nature projects Jun. ‘23
Hotels with a view Mar. ‘20
Humidity Oct. ‘13
Hummingbird photography Apr. ‘13
Hyperfocal distance Jul. ‘13
Image resizing Aug. ‘18
Implying motion Sept.‘14
Impossible DOF Feb. ‘16
Impossible DOF Jan. ‘17
Indestructible camera bag Dec. ‘14
Infrared photography Jul. ‘14
Insane ISO settings Dec. ‘22
Interiors Oct. ‘15
iPad: Loading photos Aug.‘17
iPhone photography, pros and cons Apr. ‘22
Jungle photography Dec. ‘14
Kaleidoscopic images Jan. ‘15
Kaleidoscopis images Aug. ‘20
Keystoning Nov. ‘23t
Keystoning, correcting Aug. ‘15
L Bracket Feb. ‘18
L Bracket Feb. ‘21
Landscape photography Dec. ‘12
Landscape photography Apr. ‘14
Landscape photography Nov. ‘16
Layer Masks, The Power of Feb. ‘22
Leading Lines Aug. '24
Lessons Learned from Extreme Cold Feb. ‘24
Light fall-off Feb. ‘14
Light painting Dec. ‘21
Lighting a face Oct. ‘13
Lightning photography May ‘20
Liquify Feb. ‘18
Liquify Distortions Sept/Oct. ‘19
Lenses, Essential Aug. ‘23
Long lens portraits Oct. ‘18
Long Lenses for Flowers Jul. ‘20
Low light photography May ‘15
Luminar 4 Jan. ‘20
Macro flash Nov. ‘12
Macro flash Sep. ‘14
Macro flash Aug. ‘15
Macro flash Aug. ‘22
Macro flash advantage Feb. '25
Macro photography and DOF Feb. ‘22
Macro trick May ‘19
Managing soft focus Jul. ‘21
Mannequin heads Apr. ‘16
Metering modes Nov. ‘16
Meters, How They Work Jul. ‘18
Meters, when they fail Dec. ‘16
Subject index for past Photo Insight issues
Metering situations, Impossible
Middle gray
Jul. ‘19
Nov. ‘15
Midday sunlight, The Challenge of Feb. '25
Minimizing dust on the sensor Nov. ‘21
Optical infinity
Mirrors
Mirror images
Model shoot
Jun. ‘16
Jan. ‘19
May ‘23
Jan. ‘17
Moon glow Oct. ‘16
Mosaics
Jun. ‘17
Mundane to Ideal Nov. ‘19
Museum photography Mar. ‘13
Natural Light Portraits
Aug. ‘21
Negative space Jan. ‘16
Neon edges on black Aug. ‘14
Neutral Density filters Jun. ‘18
New depth of field preview Mar. ‘24
New shooting style Mar. ‘24
Neutral Density filters and water Mar. ‘22
Night photography Feb. ‘14
Night Safaris Jun. ‘18
Night to Twilight Dec. ‘17
Noise reduction Feb. ‘17
Off-camera flash Jan. ‘24
Oil and water May ‘20
Online Nature Mar. '25
Organization of photos Mar. ‘18
Out of focus foregrounds Jan. ‘20
Paint abstracts May ‘13
Paint abstracts Aug. ‘21
Painting with light Sep. ‘15
Pan-blurs Sep. '24
Panning motion Dec. ‘16
Pano-Mirrors with a twist Jan. ‘18
Parades Sep. ‘13
Parallax, Correctingt May '25
Parallelism Nov. ‘19
Parallelism and DOF Feb. ‘21
Perspective, Super Exaggeration of Dec. ‘21
Photo shsaring Apr. ‘23
Photo terms Nov. ‘22
Photographing Christmas Dec. ‘23
Photography to Art Dec. ‘17
Photography solutions Jan. ‘18
Photoshop, content Aware Nov. ‘12
Photoshop, sketch technique Apr. ‘13
Photoshop, replace background Apr. ‘13
Photoshop, actions palette Dec. ‘13
Photoshop, layer masks Feb. ‘13
Photoshop, the clone tool May ‘13
Photoshop, soft foliage Oct. ‘13
Photoshop, mixer brush tool Sept. ‘14
Photoshop, b & w with color Jun. ‘14
Photoshop, drop shadows Jul. ‘14
Photoshop, creating texture Feb. ‘14
Photoshop, face mirrors Feb. ‘14
Photoshop, liquify Mar. ‘14
Photoshop, face mirrors Aug. ‘14
Photoshop, digital spotlight Sep. ‘14
Photoshop, enlarge eyes Nov. ‘14
Photoshop, darken the periphery Dec. ‘14
Photoshop, mirror images Dec. ‘14
Photoshop, beam of light Apr. ‘15
Photoshop, polar coordinates Mar. ‘15
Photoshop, chrome May ‘15
Photoshop, actions palette Nov. ‘15
Photoshop, cut and paste Nov. ‘15
Photoshop, geometrics Oct. ‘15
Photoshop, plugins Oct. ‘15
Photoshop, multiple selections Apr. ‘16
Photoshop, sharpening Apr. ‘16
Photoshop, Flood plugin Apr. ‘16
Photoshop, Desaturation Aug. ‘16
Photoshop, making a composite Aug. ‘16
Photoshop new tool May ‘20
Photoshop, place one element behind Aug. ‘18
Photoshop, the pen tool Feb. ‘16
Photoshop, canvas size Jan. ‘16
Photoshop, using the earth Jun. ‘16
Photoshop, define patterns May ‘16
Photoshop, paste into Nov. ‘16
Photoshop, b & w with color Feb. ‘17
Photoshop, open a closed door Apr. ‘17
Photoshop, palettes May ‘17
Photoshop, My favorite plugins Jan. ‘20
Portrait options Jan. ‘19
Portrait techniques Nov. ‘15
Portraits Mar. ‘13
Portraits, mixed lighting Aug. ‘14
Portrait Professional Nov. ‘19
Portraits, Lens choice Sept/Oct. ‘19
Portraits, side lighting Sep. ‘17
Portraits, window light Mar. ‘15
Portraits, outdoors May ‘17
Post-processing checklist Dec. ‘13
Post-processing: Contrast Aug. ’17
Practicing graphic design, Part I Dec. ‘22
Practicing graphic design, Park II Jan. ‘23
Practicing graphic design, Part III Feb. ‘23
Pre-capturing technology May ‘23
Predictive Focus Sep. ‘18
Problem/solution Apr. ‘17
Problem Solving in Photoshop May ‘22
Problem with cruises Jan. ‘18
Protecting extremeities from the cold Dec. ‘22
Protecting highlights Dec. ‘12
Puppies Jan. ‘15
Puppy photography Feb. ’18
Rays of Light Mar. '25
Reflections Feb. ‘13
Reshaping faces Oct. ‘22
Restoring old photos Jun ‘20
Ring flash, advantages Jul. ‘21
Ring flash versatility Oct. ‘21
Rule of Odds May ‘22
S-curves Aug. '24
Safari May ‘13
Safari strategies Jul. ‘15
Seeing as the lens does Nov. ‘14
Seeking Cool Snow Photos Jan. ‘21
Selective filtering Mar. ‘18
Selective focus Jun. ‘15
Subject index for past Photo Insight issues
Self-critiques Jul. ‘13
Self-critiques Oct. ‘13
Self-critiques Nov. ‘20
Sensor cleaning Jun. ‘18
Sepia and dark contrast Jun. ‘15
Sepia, Traditional look of Shade May ‘14
Shady side Jun. ‘18
Shadows define the shot Dec. ‘23
Shadows, Paying Attention to Mar. ‘18
Sharp, 6 reasons why photos are not Apr. ‘24
Sharpness problems Mar. ‘14
Shooting from helicopters
Shooting in Inclement Weather Nov. ‘22
Shooting thru glass May ‘24
Shooting through textured glass May ‘23
Shooting through wire mesh Sept. ‘14
Shooting into the light Jun ‘20
Side lighting Jan. ‘24
Silhouettes Jun. ‘13
Silhouettes, How to make Apr. ‘22
Silhouettes, Exposing for Sept/Oct. ‘19
Silvered landscapes Mar. ‘20
Sketch, How to Make Jun ‘19
Skies make or break a picture Aug. ‘21
Sky replacement Nov. ‘20
Sky replacement strategies Aug. ‘22
Snow exposure Nov ‘17
Snow exposure Nov. ‘19
Soap abstracts Aug. ‘23
Soft light Jan. ‘13
Smart phone photography May ‘19
Some people are clueless May '25
Stained glass Mar. ‘17
Star photography and noise Jan. ‘18
Stock photography Sep. ‘14
Sunrise & sunset Jan. ‘19
Symmetry Aug. '24
Tamron 150-600mm Apr. ‘14
Ten reasons photos are not sharp Jan. ‘19
Texture, Adding Mar ‘19
Texture Mapping in 3D Jul. ‘21
To Polarize or not to Polarize Jun. '25
Too much lens Jul. ‘24
Topaz AI Gigapixel Mar ‘19
Topaz glow Jan. ‘15
Topaz glow Sep. ‘17
Topaz Impression Sep. ‘15
Topaz Remask 5 Oct. ‘17
Topaz Simplify 4 Dec. ‘12
Topaz simplify 4 Jun. ‘14
Topaz Studio Apr. ‘18
Total solar eclipse, How to shoot Mar. ‘24
Translucency & backlighting Nov. ‘18
Travel photography Feb. ‘ 13
Travel portraits Mar. ‘14
Travel tips Apr. ‘14
Travel photographer’s guide Jun. ‘17
Tripods, not allowed Jun. ‘24
Tweaking exposure on the fly Apr. ‘23
Twilight photography in the rain Apr. ‘19
Quiz answers
1. a 2. c 3. b 4. b 5. d 6. d 7. a 8. b 9. b 10. b Your score 90% - 100%: You could have been a pro 80% - 89%: Your glasses probably need a new prescription 70% - 79%: Just don’t quit your day job
